Traversible carriage used in rectangular sprinkler installations for treating sewage



Juiy l, 1941.. F BQLTQN 2.247.433

TRAVERSIBLE CARRIKGEFUSED IN RECTANGULAR SPRINKLER INSTALLATIONS FORTREATING SEWAGE Filed Jan. 18, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N V E NTDRZ FINESFRHNKLHND Bouon FITTORNEI y J. F. BOLTON 2.247.433

TRAVERSIBLE CARRIAGE USED IN RECTANGULAR SPRINKLER INSTALLATIONS FORTREATING SEWAGE Filed Jan. 18, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FITTORNEY 4 9 23 a:.18 L :I

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TRAVERSIBLE CARRIAGE USED IN RECTANGULAR SPRINKLER INSTALLATIONS FORTREATING SEWAGE Filed Jan. 18, 3.940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented July 1,1941 TRAVERSIBLE CARRIAGE USED IN RECTAN- GULAR SPRINKLER INSTALLAT'IONS FOR TREATING SEWAGE James Frankland Bolton, Heywood, EnglandApplication January 18, 1940, Serial No. 314,492 In Great BritainJanuary 26, 1939 7 Claims.

This invention relates to the traversible carriages used in rectangularsprinkler installations for treating liquid sewage or the efiluent frompreceding sewage treating installations, such liquid being hereafterreferred to as water.

The improvements are concerned with a known kind of carriage which runson a comparatively narrow gauge track extending along the centre of therectangular bed, such carriage supporting on either side a chamber orbox with waterwheel adapted to be driven by the flow of water and so asto traverse the carriage, the water passing thence along a sprinklerpipe or pipes extending over the filter bed and supported from thecarriage. In carriages of this kind the water-wheels have been rotatedin one direction only, and reversal of travel of the carriage has beenobtained automatically by a movable lever or the like on the carriagestriking an abutment device at the end of each travel and so actuating aclutch in connection with transmission gearing to give a drive in theopposite direction.

By the present improvements such a clutch contrivance and much of thetransmission gearing can be dispensed with. According to the inventionthere is provided a traversible carriage of the kind above set forthwherein the direction of travel of the carriage is automaticallyreversed by reversing the direction of rotation of each water-wheelthrough means automatically actuated atthe end of each travel. This isdone by taking water from the longitudinal feed trough beneath the trackand directing it on to either side of each water-wheel (according to thedirection of travel) under the control of valve or weir contrivancesautomatically actuated at the end of each travel by contact of areversing lever or like device on the carriage with a buffer or abutmentmounted in connection with the track. Such an arrangement allows of asimplification of the driving transmission mechanism, and other featuresof the invention relate to the construction of the water-wheels andtheir cooperating casings, the welr boxes from which the water flows onto the water-wheels, and the reversing valve or weir contrivances andtheir operating mechanism.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a traversible carriage according to theinvention shown mounted on its track above the filter bed, a portion atone side being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation looking on the right hand side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 1 with a portion of thereversing mechanism broken away.

Fig. 4 is a partial side elevation with the lower part shown in section,showing an alternative form of reversing valve or weir contrivance.

Figs. 5 and 6 show on a larger scale one of the water-wheel chambers andits contents with the positions of the parts the same as in Fig. 2, Fig.6 being a plan View and Fig. 5 a sectional View taken on the line V--Vin Fig. 6.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, there isshown a central feed trough I which may extend for the length of thefilter bed and into which the water is led, and this supports rails 2 onwhich the wheels 3 of the traversible carriage run. These wheels 3 arefixed upon axles 6, 4 mounted in brackets 5 upon which the chassis 6 ofthe carriage is supported. Upon this chassis 6 are fixed long transversemembers 1 which project on each side and support in pendent frames 8 thewaterwheel chambers 9. It will be clear that the following descriptionof one water-wheel chamher and its associated parts applies equally tothat on the other side of the carriage, such carriages generallycarrying sprinkler pipes on both sides of the trough.

The water-wheel chamber 9 contains the reversible water-wheel H] whichhas around its periphery a number of radially projecting longitudinallydisposed vanes ll arranged so as to form pockets, the wheel beingadapted to: be turned in one or the other direction by water enteringthe pockets on one side or the other. On each side of the water-wheelthere is a weir box l2 (see particularly Figs. 5 and 6) closed at thebottom and a little longer than the waterwheel, and the inner ends ofthese weir boxes communicate with the enlarged lower end I3 of one legof a syphon pipe l4 which is suspended from the chassis 6 with itscommon central leg 55 dipping into the water in the feed trough l. Eachweir box I? has a stationary valve seating or packing consisting of astrip 56 of rubber or the like, and with this there co-operates amovable undercasing structure H which extends along each side of thewheel Ill between end plates 18 pivoted about the axle of such wheel.This undercasing structure ll has on each side a weir I9 so that theweirs are coupled in pairs, and the undercasing structure can berockedto raise one Weir and lower the other or vice versa with respectto the seatings l6 and thereby to permit the flow of water over only oneseating l6 into the water wheel.

The undercasing H at H is well spaced from the vanes H of thewater-wheel for a short distance below the weir i and then approachesclose to such vanes at H leaving below the centre part of the wheel IE afull length gap through which water escapes from the Water wheel intothe bottom of the chamber 9,. This chamber is shown as communicatingwith two sprinkler pipes 2s, 2i supported therefrom, and an uprightplate 22 extends the length of the chamber 9 with its upper edge closeto the vanes ll of the water-wheel so as to form a partition dividingthe lower part of the chamber 9 into two compartments servedrespectively 'by the pipes Zil, 28. The object of shaping theundercasing IT as described is to enable water to enter more than oneor" the pockets of the water-wheel at a time, thatis, those opposite theportion I7 so that a good pressure is obtained due to the weight ofwater in these several pockets. This is particularly useful for startingthe rotation of the wheel, which is made dificult by the shaping of thevanes ll necessary to enable the wheel to operate efficiently in eitherdirection.

To the lower part of the undercasing IT there is fixed a tray 23 ofhollow rectangular form which collects any water escaping at the endsand at the sealed or closed side of the waterwheel and directs this tothe compartment of the chamber 9 then in use, the tray tilting as theundercasing is rocked.

The carriage is traversed by the rotation of the water-wheel iii whichhas fixed on its axle a chain-wheel 2d driving by a chain 25 achainwheel 26 fixed on a long shaft 2? which is similarly driven by theother water-wheel. On the shaft 2'! is fixed a spur pinion 28 engaging aspur Wheel 25 fixed on the axle i of the carriage, which is therebytraversed to and fro according to the direction of rotation of thewater-Wheel. Any other simple form of drive transmission could be used.

The reversing of the water-wheel is effected automatically as follows.One end plate l8 of the undercasing i! has pivotally connected at 36 arod 3! which is also pivoted to an arm 32 fixed on a shaft 33 similarlyconnected to the undercasing of the other water-wheel and mounted inbrackets on the chassis E. Centrally fixed on the shaft 33 is a segment3 with adjustable abutment studs 35 which can be acted upon by the footof a reversing lever 36 freely pivoted on the shaft 33. The action ofthis mechanism and the rest of the apparatus can be seen from Fig. 2 inwhich the water-wheel is shown as rotating in the direction indicated bythe arrow to drive the carriage to the right. The water syphoned fromthe trough l flows into both weir boxes is but owing to the position ofthe undercasing ll it can only flow over the left-hand weir l9 which islevel with the corresponding valve seating l6, and so the Water rotatesthe Water-wheel and then passes into the sprinkler pipe 2%. When thecarriage reaches the end of its traverse the reversing lever 36 engagesan abutment device 31 mounted above the track and is thereby pushed overto the other position, the foot of the lever 36 actuating the segment 31 as soon as the lever has passed over its central position and therolling weight 38 has moved across. Thus the undercasing l! is rocked toraise th-eleft-hand weir Is and lower the righthand one, and so therotation of the waterwheel is reversed.

In Fig. 4 there is shown an alternative arrangement of reversing valveor weir contrivances which is in effect an inversion of that abovedescribed, the weirs proper being stationary and being opened or closedby movable Valves. In this arrangement, the undercasing I'I is fixed,and its upper part on each side abuts against the wall of the weir box12 and is spaced well away from the vanes ii of the Water-Wheel, but asit inclines downwardly it comes closer to the vanes until it almosttouches them, thus enabling several pockets of the water-wheel to befilled to give easy starting as explained above. Each Weir box I2 has afixed front Weir IS and with this there co-operates a movable valve inthe form of a long plate 49 capable of fitting over and closing the weirHE This plate valve 48 is loosely carried on two arms 4| pivoted to across bar 42 supported by arms 43 pivoted to supports in the chamber 9,and each cross bar 32 is connected by a rod 44 through a pin-andslotconnection 45 to one arm of a bell-cranked lever 36. This lever E6 isfixed on the shaft 33 and actuated directly by the reversing lever 36which is fixed on such shaft. Thus, the movement of the reversing lever38 at the end of each traverse of the carriage actuates the moveablevalve plates iii to close one weir l6 and openthe other, whereby therotation of the water-Wheel is reversed. The lost-motion connection 35serves the same purpose as the segment and loose lever arrangement inFig. 2, and the movable valve plates iii are coupled together in pairs.

Each weir box I2 is provided with a back weir 39 a little higher thanthe fixed valve seating 16 or front Weir l6 so that when an extra largeflow of water occurs the surplus can escape over these back weirs 39into the surrounding chamber 9 and so to both sprinkler pipes 20, 2|,with the result that the surplus is rapidly disposed of.

It will be understood that where the sprinkler pipes are in pairs theintention is that one should act to sprinkle water on the part of thebed near to the centre trough I only and the other to sprinkle water onthe part of the bed further from the centre trough, according to thedirection of travel of the carriage, as is known. If a single pipe isused, this could sprinkle Water on both traverses of the carriage, andthe partition plate 22 could be dispensed with, as also the tray 23.

The carriage is shown fitted with hydraulic, pneumatic or spring bufiersE1 of known type arranged to contact with stationary bufiers orabutments 8 at the end of each traverse to lessen the shock, of reversaland assist the action of the mechanism. There are also shown oil dashpotor like brakes 39 operated by eccentrics on the axle 4 of the carriageand serving as is known, to prevent the carriage from over-speeding whenblown by a high Wind.

I claim:

1. A traversible carriage for use in rectangular sprinkler installationsin the treatment of sewage, and having a reversible water wheel, anddistinguished in that the water wheel chamber from which the water isdelivered has combined therewith weir boxes disposed one on either sideof the water wheel and communicating permanently with a syphon whichdraws water from a feed trough, said chamber having an undercasingstructure partly surrounding the water wheel and adjacent the vanesthereof, said undercasing structure having outlet provision at the base,and also having alternatively operative weirs, the said undercasingstructure co-operating with the water wheel to permit alternatefunctioning of the alternatively operative weirs, and reversingmechanism for controlling the latter.

2. A traversible carriage for use in rectangular sprinkler installationsin the treatment of sewage, comprising a wheeled chassis arranged totravel to and fro above a feed trough containing the water to bepurified, support members mounted on said chassis and supporting awater-wheel chamber, a reversible water-wheel carried in said chamber,simple driving mechanism arranged to transmit the drive from saidwater-wheel to said wheeled chassis to traverse the whole carriage, aweir box on each side of said water-wheel and within said chamber, asyphon with one leg in the feed trough and the other communicatingpermanently with both sides of the water-wheel through said weir boxes,a sprinkler pipe communicating permanently with said water-wheelchamber, and means to reverse the direction of travel of the carriageautomatically by reversing the direction of rotation of the water-wheel,said means comprising a pair of movable control contrivances arranged toco-operate each with one of the weir boxes between the front of saidweir box and the water wheel to direct the water on to either side ofthe water-wheel from the corresponding weir box (according to thedirection of travel) and automatically actuated at the end of eachtravel by contact of a movable reversing device on the carriage with anabutment mounted in connection with the track.

3. A traversible carriage for use in rectangular sprinkler installationsin the treatment of sewage, comprising a wheeled chassis arranged totravel to and fro above a feed trough containing the water to bepurified, support members mounted on said chassis and supporting awater-wheel chamber, a reversible water-wheel carried in said chamber,simple driving mechanism arranged to transmit the drive from saidWater-wheel to said wheeled chassis to traverse the whole carriage, aweir box on each side of said water Wheel and within said chamber, asyphon with one leg in the feed trough and the other communieatingpermanently with both sides of the water-wheel through said weir boxes,two sprinkler pipes communicating permanently with said water-wheelchamber, a partition arranged longitudinally below said water-wheelalmost touching same and. dividing the lower part of the water-wheelchamber into two compartments each served by one of said sprinklerpipes, and means to reverse the direction of travel of the carriageautomatically by reversing the direction of rotation of the water-Wheel,said means comprising a pair of movable control contrivances arranged toco-operate each with one of the weir boxes between the front of saidweir box and the water-wheel to direct the water on to either side ofthe water-wheel (according to the direction of travel) and automaticallyactuated at the end of each travel by contact of a movable reversingdevice on the carriage with an abutment mounted in connection with thetrack.

4. A combination as claimed in claim, 2, including a stationary seatingsurface at the front of each such weir box and over which water fiows onto the water-wheel, a rockable undercasing partly surrounding the lowerportion of the water-wheel and having on each side of such wheel a weirsurface arranged to co-operate with the stationary seating surface onthe corresponding weir box, and connections between the movablereversing device and said undercasing to rock the latter at the end ofeach travel of the carriage.

5. A combination as claimed in claim 2, including an undercasing partlysurrounding the lower portion of the water-wheel, said undercasing beingspaced away from said wheel near the part of each Weir box over whichwater flows to the wheel but almost touching the wheel lower down,whereby water can flow into more than one pocket of the water-wheel evenwhen this is stationary.

6. A combination as claimed in claim 3, including a stationary seatingsurface at the front of each such weir box and over which water flows onto the water-wheel, a rockable undercasing partly surrounding the lowerportion of the Water-wheel and having on each side of such wheel a weirsurface arranged to co-operate with the stationary seating surface onthe corresponding weir box, connections between the movable reversingdevice and said undercasing to rock the latter at the end of each travelof the carriage, and a tray fixed to the lower part of said undercasingand arranged to tilt when said undercasing is rocked and to collect anyescaping water and direct same to the appropriate compartment of thewater-wheel chamber.

7. A combination as claimed in claim 3, including a back weir inconnection with each such weir box and over both of which surplus watercan overflow and escape through both sprinkler pipes.

JAMES FRANKLAND BOLTON.

